Fence bracket



April 7, 1931. M. c. THOM FENCE BRACKET Filed March l2, 1930 J ww {Dcnmcwcl Patented Apr. 7, 1931` i NUNITED STATES MICHAEL C. THOM, OF CAREY, HIO

FENCE BRACKET Application led March 12, 1930. Serial No. 435,233.

This invention relates to a bracket for use in connection with wire fences.

It is an object of the invention to provide a bracket which can be connected readily to y a fence fabric and, when in position, can be used for holding barbed wires or the like adjacent to the top of the fence.

It is a further object to provide a bracket which is of simple construction, can be made at low cost, and can be made into a compact bundle for convenience in shipping and storin Wit the foregoing and other objections in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combi nation and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein described may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departingr from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawing the preferred form of the invention has been shown. Y In said drawing Figure 1 is a side elevation of the bracket su ported in engagement with a fence fabric.

igure 2 is a front elevation thereof.

Figure 3 is an enlarged section on line 3-"3, Figure 1.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference, 1 designates an elongated fiat strip of metal the end ortions of which are twisted as at 2 to provide terminal tongues 3 and 4 which are disposed in a plane extending at right angles to the flat side faces of the strip 1. Each tongue is formed with longitudinal slits 5 extending thereinto from its free end to form a fork 6 and a bendable ofi'- set finger 7. Adjacent to the tongue 3 is provided a series of apertures 8.

Another elongated fiat metal strip 9 forms the brace portion of the bracket and has one end portion twisted as at 10 to form a tongue 11. This tongue, like the tongues 3 and 4, has slits 12 extending thereinto from its free end to divide the tongue into a fork 13 and an offset bendable finger 14. The other end of the strip 9 is formed with slits 15 extending thereinto from its free end and the material between these slits is offset as at 16 to provide a coupling finger 17.

Normally the strips 1 and 9 are disconnected and can be arranged parallel with each other so as to be conveniently packed. VVhen it is desired to use the bracket the tongue 4 is inserted under one of the strands of a wire fence F so that the finger 7 offset from said tongue will extend over the wire strand as shown in Figure 1 wherein the 60 strand has been indicated at S. Thereafter the coupling finger 17 is inserted into one of the openings 8 so that the strips 1 and 9 lap and are held close together. The tongue l1 is placed over one of the lower strands of 05 the fence so that the finger 14 will extend under the strand. Fingers 7 and Mare then bent into position with their free ends seated in the forked ends of the tongues so that the strips 1 and 9 are thereby fastened securely 70 to the fence.

Thestrand of wire to be supported by the bracket which has been indicated at 8 is placed on the tongue 3 and the finger 7 is then bent downwardly to straddle it and hold it against lateral withdrawal from the tongue 3 supporting it. If another strand s' is to be supported by the bracket it can be extended over strip 1 and through the space from which the finger 17 has been struck. 8o

The sides of the slit portion of strip 9 can then be drawn together so as to retain strand s as shown in Figure 1.

It will be noted from the foregoing that it is possible to securely support strands of barbed wire adjacent to the to of a fence and by raising or lowering the lbwer end of strip 9 so that it will engage a higher or a lower strand of the fence, tlie strip l can be supported at any desired angle relative to 9o the fence with the strands s and s located either above or below the level of the top of the fence.

What is claimed is:

1. A knock-down bracket for wire fences including a wire supporting strip having a tongue at each end formed with longitudinal slits, a finger offset from each tongue between the slits, there being apertures within the strip between its ends, a brace strip having 10u t slits extending into the ends thereof, bendable ingers offset from each of said ends between the slits, one of said ngers being in sertible through an aperture in the wire supporting strip for holding the two strips assembled, said brace strip being contriactable at that `end adjacent to the finger in the aperture to embrace and hold a wire'supported Y bythe apertured strip. Y 1 2.r A knock-down bracket including an apertured strip for supporting spaced wires, means integral with the ends of said strip'v for respectively engaging a fence fabric and i one of the supported Wires, a brace strip, means integral with one end thereof for enn gaging a fence fabric, 'there being slits eX-4 tending into the other end of the brace strip, an o'iset ingerformed between the slits and insertible into one of the apertures to hold thetwo strips in engagement, said slitted end 'of the brace strip being adapted to straddle onev of the supported wires and to be coni tra'cted to hold the VVwire against displaceyment relative to thezstrips.

Y 3. The combination with an apertured Wire supporting strip and a brace strip,

means on said strips forjengaging a fence fabric, of a finger oiiset from one end of the brace strip insertible into oney of the apertures toY support the apertured strip, said iinger being angular, there being a space formed -in the brace strip by the displacement vot the linger for the reception of the supported wire, opposed walls of said space being co'ntractable toward each other to confine the Wire and hold the strips assembled. In testimony that I claim the foregoing asl my own, I have hereto axed my signature.

MICHAEL C. THOM. 

